10. Wasicsko and Steven M. Ross. "How to Create Discipline Problems."
Summary (Jack) Wasicko and Ross argue teachers create their own discipline problems by following harsh rules which expect the worst from students. They suggest the latter form of mentality to establish a comfortable and respectful learning atmosphere. The authors claim expecting the best from kids is important as well as effective in building personal relationships with students. If students know the teacher has no predetermined views regarding their past behavior they might try to live up to positive expectations. In addition, Wasicko and Ross state teachers need to make these expectations clear. A teacher that provides guidelines about appropriate and inappropriate behavior will decrease the likelihood of discipline issues. Furthermore, the authors discuss the critical aspect of rewarding students instead of punishing them. They claim punishments outweigh rewards by at least 10 to 1 in the average classroom. The frequent act of punishing students not only distracts from the learning process, but also gives poor behaving students attention. This action gives other students ideas of how to misbehave and students behaving positively may feel left out or ignored. By rewarding students instead of punishing them, the teacher is highlighting good behaviors and the students can feel optimistic about their decisions. Wasicko and Ross also suggest that teachers must create punishments that fit the crime; by having students solve or fix the problem, the disciplinary action becomes a beneficial learning experience. In addition, they claim punishments should be in the form of removing privileges; it is better to take away something they enjoy and must earn. It is important to remember the class structure must have privileges in order to be able to withhold them from misbehaving students. They suggest that some effective techniques for diminishing discipline issues is to ignore small misbehaving activities and to be consistent in how one disciplines and treats students.
The authors note teachers need to tailor the punishment for each student. They should take time to get to know the students and discover what things/tasks are considered punishments and rewards for them. Finally, Wasicko and Ross argue teachers should never give students school work as punishment; students will begin hating the very subject one wants them to learn and enjoy. Instead, reward them with school work by surprising them with a fun, meaningful and practical lesson. Teachers should treat students with love and respect to develop and foster positive relationships which will led to few major discipline problems.
--K.McCollum
Doubting Lens (Queen)
This article brings up some good points, but there are a lot of issues with what the authors say. For one, they suggest letting “minor misbehaviors” go so as not to encourage more students to do it or reward problem behavior. They use the example of swearing, but in real-life situation, especially in a high school setting, swearing is usually directed at someone, be it a teacher or another student, usually in the form of name-calling. To the authors, this may be a “minor misbehavior,” but ignoring a student who is spouting obscenities at another student or at the teacher will not change the behavior but allow it to continue.
The authors also suggest knowing the students well in order to punish them appropriately. But is there consistency in this concept? One student’s punishment may be not being able to read in class, but other students who dislike reading may feel that this punishment is unfair. It may be a good punishment for the one student, but others who see it as a reward might revolt against this form of punishment. Having consistency in one’s approach to discipline may reduce the likelihood that students will see a teacher’s punishments as “unfair.”
The authors also use a quote from a student that says, “She is more than just a teacher; she is our friend.” If the authors are advocating having a friendship-like relationship with students, they are treading on dangerous ground. As teachers, we are supposed to have a specific bond with our students, which involves respect and authority. While caring for students and having a trusting sort of relationship is appropriate, teachers are not supposed to be “friends” with their students, nor should they be described by the students as one. While having a bond with one’s students is important, being friends with one’s students is not the point of being their teacher.
The article essentially says that teachers create their own discipline problems, but they forget to take into account the fact that other adults come into contact with their students as well. Parents may have conditioned their children to be discipline problems, or other teachers may have gotten their hands on the students first. If this is the case, how can a teacher be said to be responsible for another teacher or a parent’s discipline case?
- Kristy McPherson
Believing Lens (King)
This article was very easy to read with a believing lens. Teachers can absolutely create their own discipline problems in the classroom by lowering expectations, punishing every bad behavior, using schoolwork as punishment, never giving rewards and much more. Teachers must try their hardest to be clear, explicit and especially consistent when it comes to expectations and classroom policy. When teachers are not consistent students will be confused about what behaviors are acceptable and what behaviors are not. Some students may also try to test the limits if teachers are unclear about their rules.
As pointed out by Wasickso and Ross, it’s important to have children be accountable for their actions. One way to help promote accountability would be to have students help make the classroom rules and expectations. Students will be more likely to follow the rules if they helped establish them. Aside from accountability teachers need to know their students in order to determine what is actually punishment and what is a reward. Wasickso and Ross say, “one person’s pleasure is another’s poison” (65). This is true when teachers are developing positive or negative punishment techniques. For example a teacher may punish a student by giving them a time out in a corner, but in actuality the student may not find this punishment bad because they enjoy the attention or seclusion.
With my brief volunteer experience in Philadelphia Public Schools, it was especially evident that failing to ignore small misbehaviors will create more discipline problems then eliminate them. The teacher I worked with pointed out so many misbehaviors that in a 40-hour week I saw no more than thirty minutes of actual instruction! She could not finish a sentence without reprimanding a student for one thing or another. Unfortunately, this seemed to be the norm in the entire school. Constantly reprimanding students breaks up lesson continuity, which is key for student comprehension.
-Kelsey Curlett
Implications for Practice (Ace)
The Privilege of Peeing
Discipline problems pervade the halls and rooms of most schools. This is a problem for many reasons but most importantly it distracts and detracts from learning. Much time is typically spent by teachers driving students to behave appropriately. If I were a principal I would want staff to hold high expectations for students both academically and behaviorally. Students should be expected to be self-disciplined. They will be able to fulfill this expectation if everything is not regulated, if rules and expectations are consistent and clearly stated, and if a list of “Do’s” to diagram proper conduct is presented. Proper conduct should be modeled to these students. Further, they should be trusted to go to the bathroom, drink water, and have a snack. If educators do not grant students responsibility over their own basic needs how can they believe we expect them to do challenging school work? However, I do believe that if a student is abusing their right to go to the bathroom and goes multiple times in one hour this should be addressed. In addressing this issue I agree with the article that the student should be spoken to after class or school.
In the article it says that students who help make rules are more apt to follow them and it also says that consistency is key. I agree with both assertion but I am torn on how to make rules. I feel that it would be a positive thing to have school policy rules agreed upon and followed by all; although this might be a bit to idyllic. It would also be beneficial to have students help create the rules so that they could be personally invested in following them out, but I do not know if or how this could be done on a school wide basis. Perhaps each grade could create rules.
-ashley gwinn
11. Cates, Dennis L., Marc A Markell, and Sherrie Bettenhausen. "At Risk for Abuse: A Teacher's Guide for Recognizing and Reporting Child Neglect and Abuse."
Summary (Jack)
The authors discuss the responsibilities and procedures for teachers who are reporting child abuse. They state in 1992 an estimated 2.9 million children were reported as suspected victims of abuse (67). The authors continue by mentioning that this large, frightening number only represents the reported cases and that many more abusive relationships still exist unknown. As a teacher, it is our legal obligation to know the signs of the various forms of abuse, (emotional, neglect, physical and sexual,) in order to report cases and ensure the safety and protection of the students.
The authors explain the definitions for the differing forms of abuse as well as lists of physical and behavioral indicators associated with the specific maltreatments. The article asserts teachers that acquaint themselves with students’ home life and make connections with their family increase their ability to detect child abuse. They also inform teachers were to report abuse, to avoid telling the alleged abuser about the suspicion and what information should be reported. It is important to mention that teachers are required by law to report child abuse and not contacting local authorities or a children protection agency will most likely result in legal action.
--K. McCollum
Doubting Lens (Queen)
Because this article is merely a means to convey facts, the only thing for me to criticize is the facts themselves. The idea that teachers can be held liable for not reporting child abuse is a terrible premise. Teachers do spend all day with students, but the majority of teachers have more than one group of students throughout the day. Assuming that the average class size is thirty students and that most teachers have five different classes a day, teacher see 150 different students every day, and many teachers have different students one semester to the next. It is unrealistic to expect that one teacher will be able to identify and report cases of abuse when their job is to teach over a hundred different students every year. Holding a single teacher liable for identifying which of their 150 or more students are being abused is ridiculous.
Even more ridiculous is the idea that a teacher who reports a suspected case of abuse to his/her principal could still be held liable is the principal does nothing. Reporting an occurrence to one’s boss should be a way to put a problem into more capable hands. To have that more turned on you is a huge betrayal.
Also ridiculous is the fact that the article encourages teachers to get to know parents well, yet it also says that parents who abuse their children “typically fail to appear for parent-teacher conferences.” As these are generally the same parents who ignore emails and phone calls from teachers, how exactly is a teacher supposed to get to know these people? And in the event that they cannot get in touch with the parents, will the teacher face harsher punishment if it turns out that the child is being abused? How outrageous.
- Kristy McPherson
Believing Lens (King)
This article was difficult to read with a believing lens because it is astonishing that 2.9 million children were reported as suspected victims of abuse or neglect. However unbelievable it is, just as with bullying and cheating, teachers must be vigilant about what is happening in their student’s lives. If a teacher notices a significant change in a behavior the teacher has a responsibility to report it. If the teacher is unsure that the change in behavior is due to abuse or neglect they should speak with a school counselor or social worker that can better address the student’s change in behavior. Some teacher’s may be nervous to report incidents of neglect or abuse because of the serious consequences making such claims can have.
At the first professional development day of the year for Riverside Middle (GRPS), the first thing on the agenda was the policy in place to report abuse. The principal not only informed the faculty about the importance of reporting abuse or neglect but she stated that she was a resource for the teachers and they shouldn’t be afraid to approach her about such incidents. After the principal spoke, both the school nurse and counselor addressed the teachers as resources for reporting abuse. Although it was wonderful to hear that a system was in place for reporting abuse, some teachers may nonetheless still be apprehensive to report it. While the principal did take the time to talk about reporting abuse, her presentation may have been more effective if she had told the teachers what some common indicators of abuse are. Even though it’s sad and hard to address, educators that work with children everyday have an extreme responsibility to be not only the student’s teacher, but also their protector.
-Kelsey Curlett
Implications for Practice (Ace)
To Recognize and Report
Child abuse and neglect is too prevalent and the statistics are incorrectly low. This is a problem that can begin to be helped. If I were a principal at a school I would follow the article’s instructions and make absolutely sure that specific policies should be put in place for reporting child abuse. This will help to legally protect the teachers and help teachers to feel confident when speaking up because they are familiar with the proper procedure. Next, I would mandate in services where Child Protective Services workers could come in and give staff tips on recognizing abuse and documenting it properly. I would have police officers also come in to speak to staff about the current child abuse laws for our state. Further, I would make sure that students knew the proper channels through which to report abuse of themselves or of a classmate. Children often know the story behind what is going on with their classmate before the teacher does; if a system was well known and in place students would feel more comfortable raising an issue about possible neglect or abuse. Lastly, communication with parents is essential so that a relationship can be built and individual situations better understood. This can be extremely difficult but I would encourage teachers to send notes home, hold conferences, and create webpages to open up the lines of communication.
-ashley gwinn
12. Lipsitz, Joan and Teri West. "What Makes a Good School?"
Summary (Jack) The authors discuss criteria to evaluate and improve various key aspects of schools in order to have an effective, efficient educational system. First, they address the importance of academic excellence. They argue good schools have high expectations for student achievement and implement a myriad of instructional strategies to create challenging lessons. The criteria are clearly defined and student comprehension is demonstrated not only in their answers, but in their explanations about their thinking processes. In addition, good schools provide opportunities for teachers to conduct further research or plan creative lessons, as well as, encouraging collaboration and reflection with co-workers. Secondly, the authors explain the significance of having criteria regarding developmental responsiveness. This includes the school establishing family alliances by gaining parental support and offering youth supplementary services which are crucial to emotional, physical and intellectual growth. For example, one school has a program in which students are expected to take care of a newborn baby. They watch, feed, and change computer-programmed dolls to learn the work associated with being a primary caregiver for a young child. Although the program is teaching the fundamentals of responsibility, accountability and compassion; students are also influenced to make wiser decisions about being sexually active. Lipsitz, Joan and West continue by addressing the third category focused by good schools: social equity. Once a good school has determined their academic excellence criteria, it is crucial the school makes certain expectations apply to all students. These teachers are adapting lesson plans for both students who struggle with material and students who are bored with the material. One would see programs such as tutoring, mentoring or other forms of assisted learning being present in the school environment. Furthermore, good schools design their own plan for punishing students other than the generic “suspension” option. Administration, teachers and others are responsible for knowing the misbehaving student and determining which form of punishment would best fit the student. The authors highlight the ineffectiveness of having poor behaving students miss out on instructional time and thus, becoming farther behind in school work. Lastly, the authors illustrate good school criteria for creating organization structures and processes. They believe schools should have people designated for carrying specific functions or tasks to make sure daily school-related activities are followed-though. Whether it is a principal or teacher, someone needs to be a leader for the staff by setting an example of someone going the extra mile to help improve the school, curriculum, the cafeteria policies, etc. Good schools always have someone inspiring others to try harder. Additionally, they claim good schools operate successfully by holding teachers accountable for student success. This means teachers are responsible to collect, analyze and interpret data regarding student comprehension and use the information to modify instructional strategies, content, organization, etc. accordingly.
-K.McCollum
Doubting Lens (Queen)
The list of criteria in this article is all well and good, but the writers seem to forget that not all school have the unlimited budgets that it would probably take for these criteria to be fully enacted. Some schools, for one thing, may not be able to have scheduled planning time for their staff because A) they are understaffed and need their teachers to have a class every hour of the school day and B) they may not be able to have a set time after school that all teachers can attend. Other teachers may not want to interact with their colleagues, which is not only selfish but reduces the opportunities for others to learn.
All of the criteria listed here are achievable…for well-funded schools in well-to-do neighborhoods. How can any school with a limited budget be expected to live up to these standards?
- Kristy McPherson
Believing Lens (King)
Lipsitz and West have created a vast overview of what we all wish to see in schools: active parental involvement, teacher collaboration, the involvement of outside agencies, peer mediation, transparency, after school programs, school-wide efforts to reduce suspensions, student accountability and much much more. It is easy to determine what we want in our schools, but it is much more difficult to actually implement the things that we desire. Many schools that are not deemed as a “good school” don’t have many of the redeeming qualities listed by Lipsitz and West but they may struggle to acquire just one or two of the qualities listed.
The most believable quality that marks a school as great is social equity. Social equity creates a safe learning environment for students both inside and outside of the classroom. It is essential for students to feel safe in order to completely lend themselves to the learning process. Social equity in a school also means teacher cooperation, academic support for all types of learners, and teamwork by all faculty, students and parents. If social equity was established in a school, the other qualities that make schools great would be easier to achieve.
In order to succeed, it is also crucial for schools to come up with a system of evaluation that includes teachers, administrators, other school faculty and parents. If a school does not perform well on the evaluation then there needs to be a process of goal setting and program development. Failing schools are often struggling just to make it day by day but it would do them good to look down the road and plan ahead. Evaluations that schools set up should occur not just on a yearly basis but also each quarter or marking period. Mistakes are easily made in schools but mistakes are valuable if they can be transformed into a learning experience.
-Kelsey Curlett
Implications for Practice (Ace)
Get it Right
These schools sound like utopian anomalies, but if I were the principal at one of these schools I would be thrilled. As a principal operating one of these schools, I would have to be very involved and have a clear set achievable plan in place to boost student achievement. In this setting, as principal, I would implement systems thinking into the structure of the school and professional development meetings. Utilizing systems thinking would allow for a common vision to be set by teachers, administrators, parents, and students. Further, it would make for a safe environment where teachers could share their ideas and criticize in a constructive manner like the article was advocating take place. This safe environment would not just manifest itself, but it would need to be constructed; systems thinking would be a way to create such and environment. Systems thinking would also be a great help in engaging in partnerships with business and local organizations allowing the pool of resources and support for the school to grow.
I like the idea of constant planning and professional development, however, as principal; I would want to pare down meetings. Consolidating meetings is important because teachers do not want an unending schedule of meetings, and such a schedule would decrease productive and focused teacher involvement. Integrating new teachers and making provisions for students who transfer in did not seem to be made in the article. As a principal I would provide new teachers with a mentor teacher to help acclimate them to the unique system of the school and I would also make sure that I had extra meetings with them to keep tabs on how they were getting along. Transfer students would have a huge learning curve and would need mentors and extra meetings of their own. I would place them with a teacher contact that would specifically advocate for and work with this student, and I would also place them with a student mentor who might be a student mediator as well.
Regarding suspension issues I would implement an in school suspension system in most situations. Also, in the in school suspension room I would hold students accountable for work being missed in the classroom. Curbing suspension issues would also be aided by as much parent involvement as our school could acquire. To gain parent and guardian involvement parent teacher conferences would offer food (hopefully provided by one of our partnerships gained) and would operate before school and late after school to help accommodate all schedules. Additionally, teachers would have individual websites that have translations into different languages to assist parents in keeping up to date on their student’s work progress.
-ashley gwinn
13. Cuban, Larry. "A Tale of Two Schools"
Summary (Jack)
Cuban raises the question, what defines a good school? He persists that a majority of the nation is under the belief that only one educational style is the correct way for producing young citizens. He gives scenarios of two dissimilar instructional styles; one being traditional, the other progressive in nature. As Cuban is describing School A and School B, he highlights the differences in the school environment and teaching methods. At first it would appear these schools have nothing in common and that, when assessing student knowledge, one educational style would have to be better suited for student learning. However, Cuban claims these schools have a lot of commonalities in their approach to imparting knowledge. Both manage to teach students how to be productive, active members of a democratic society, but they emphasize, organize and prioritize these aspects in a unique way. Therefore, Cuban asserts progressivists and traditionalists need to focus on why good schools are “good” schools instead of assuming there is a “one best system” solution for all educational environments (88).
--K.McCollum
Doubting Lens (Queen)
The author of this article argues that there is actually no set definition for what makes a “good” school. Unfortunately, there is, and it is called standardized testing. While the two schools that the author compared are both highly ranked in terms of standardized testing, had one of his schools been low ranking, the differences between the schools would have been much more pronounced. If School B had had lower test scores than School A or ice versa, there would have been a clear winner. Say, for example, that School B has a large special education system and therefore had lower test scores. While it may not have given an accurate picture of which school was “better,” it would have shown state officials and parents that School A may have been the better investment.
- Kristy McPherson
Believing Lens (King)
This story was easy to read with a believing lens because I see “the tale of two schools” occur everyday. Even though schools are often classified as progressive or traditional there are often teachers within each school that tend to function traditionally or progressively, no matter what their school may be classified as. In my opinion, as long as schools are functioning at a high level then it doesn’t necessarily matter what they do to get there (as long as cheating isn’t involved, by teachers, administrators or students). As the article says, what actually makes a school good doesn’t matter as long as “they are discharging their primary duty to help students think and act democratically” (87).
It is easy to say that it doesn’t matter if a school is progressive or traditional as long as the school is achieving what it set out to accomplish, but yet the debate between progressivism and traditionalism will rage on for a long time to come. The education system in itself will always be a battle between “right and wrong” because nobody can ever reach an agreement. If an agreement is somehow magically reached then its only a matter of time before the decided upon philosophy is obsolete. This is partly why some schools fail and some succeed; it is almost nearly impossible to reach decisions on how to do things right in schools, both in and out of the classroom. While time is spent trying to make the right decisions, crucial instructional time is slipping away. It is my belief that the education system will always be under some sort of reform, whether the reform is good or bad.
-Kelsey Curlett
Implications for Practice (Ace)
Good Gosh
If students are achieving according to set standards, if they are competent problem solvers, and democratic thinkers then I agree with the author that schools containing these students are, by definition, good. As a principal I would not want to get roped into all of the political debates surrounding school policy, but I know I would have to. In practice, I would combine the traditional and progressive perspectives on education. Both of these schooling approaches are on extreme ends of the spectrum and I believe my school would do well do take the best from both to meet in the middle. The aspects chosen from each ideology would be backed up by research and the combination would need to be tested by practice.
-ashley gwinn
After reading all of the chapters:
What Happened (2)
What Happened: First hour in our Language Arts class my CT and I have a continuous problem with attendance. We have two students who have already been suspended in these first three weeks of school. The first one, a girl who is repeating the 6th grade, came back to class after a two day suspension for “bad attitude” on Thursday of last week. She walked in with all of her materials except for her homework. She had missed a spelling worksheet with the week’s spelling words and the reading of a story in the literature textbook. My CT asked her if she had her homework and the student described a colorful tale on how she had the homework done in her locker but her mom had taken it home and lost it when she picked her up for her suspension. Though my CT didn’t believe the student, she told her it would be ok for her to turn her homework in the next day. The student has yet to turn in one piece of homework in our class. That Friday the student participated in the spelling test and failed. She never got to take the pretest because she was suspended.
Why Did It Happen: The student usually is attentive in class even though she doesn’t turn in any assignments. I will be able to test my theory next week, but I believe that if she had been in class while we were discussing the spelling words she would have aced the test. When we go to take attendance we can see which students have been called in sick and suspended for the day. I asked my CT what kind of “bad attitude” could justify out of school suspension and she told me that when it comes to some students, like the girl who missed the spelling discussion, out of school suspension is the only answer. I am merely speculating but I feel like this student has been flagged by the teachers as a “problem child” and should be out of school as much as possible.
What does it Mean: I am a firm believer that out of school suspension is highly ineffective and only disables the student’s learning experience. There are a few cases where it is necessary, one being the other student who is continuously fist-fighting at school, but overall I do not see the benefit. The female student may not be a highly motivated individual but she is smart and after she hears something she usually has it in her memory. The spelling worksheet that she had to do on her own was done mostly in class on the day she missed because of her suspension.
Implications for Practice: Though I will not be able to prevent out of school suspension, I want to have a system placed in my classroom to catch up the students. My CT doesn’t really have that great of a make-up work system in her classroom. She has a folder for the students to get work from but she usually forgets to put the assignments in the folder. I have been keeping up with it but the students have a hard time remembering to look for missed work. My current idea is to spend a few minutes at the end of the day and put the names of the students who missed each class on a sticky note on the class seating chart. That way if the students do not ask the first day they are back I can give them the assignment for a late grade the next day. I’ve already started to do this for my CT. I don’t want my students to fall behind because of a disciplinary action.
-Katie Reilly
What Happened (3)
What happened?
My CT has a very non-authoritarian style of classroom management that in most settings would be highly ineffective at maintaining a stable learning environment, but in his classroom it appears to work. Students respond well to his passive aggressive nature and casual disciplinary style. A majority of students are well behaved throughout his classes and all students show great respect toward him. However, this week his second hour science class just seems to suddenly have grown a boisterous, obnoxious, unforgiving side and it is obvious that he can’t continue his non-authoritative approach much longer or he will surely lose the class for good.
Why did it happen?
Chapter 10 discusses ways to prevent discipline problems before they arise, an article I wish my CT had read weeks ago. He seems to have made the second step of creating classroom problems, never tell students what is expected of them, a cornerstone of his classroom management philosophy. In addition to this, he is not equitable in his application of the law. While some students are allowed to return to their lockers for forgotten books, homework, and pencils, others are denied the privilege and reprimanded for their failure to remember the items before class. This second hour class is merely acting out what the other hours will soon come to realize, there are no rules and therefore the limits must be tested.
What does it mean?
Without established, clearly defined rules it is impossible for students to know what is expected of them within the classroom. The second hour students are simply acting out the most human instinct of trial and error. They are searching for what works and what doesn’t within the classroom. My CT will soon discover that without established rules students will begin to take their frustration with a lack of structure and equity out on him. Had he followed the “Love and Logic” model of establishing rules and adhering to them, he could have gained students respect while maintaining his compassion. For now, he sits silently at the front of the classroom passively waiting for students to give him their attention.
What are the implications for future practice? It is important for all teachers, myself included, to be comfortable with establishing a system of discipline within the classroom. The authors offer simple, yet pragmatic tips and guidelines for maintaining stability and order in the classroom. I have seen a rather effective style of non-authoritative discipline begin to break down in the classroom, and the results are not pretty. I will be sure take the authors’ advice and overcome the 10 easy steps to creating discipline problems.
-Aaron Noordhoek
What Happened (4)
What happened?
When dealing with 6th graders, each day is completely different from the next. One day a student may be extremely well behaved while the next it’s like the Mr. Hyde version of Jekyll. And the range of personalities you get within a 35 student classroom is vast and random as well. That’s why looking at chapter 10 we get a good glimpse of how to avoid creating discipline problems. So I want to discuss my last week looking at this.
First off, one of the girls, Tia, will do anything for attention: get out of her seat, talk consistently, and her new fad: whistling. I have found myself and my CT following the section “Ignor”ance is Bliss with most of her behavior issues and by not giving her attention, she will stop. But one day, she decided to test me when coming back from Art. She was walking in line down the hall and begins to whistle. I tell her to please stop. Five seconds later she restarts her tune, again I tell her to stop. The third time she looks at me and makes sure she makes eye contact and carries on her tune. We get to class and (following the scenario in the first couple chapters) i pull her outside and instead of yelling at her begin by telling her that “I am very proud of her for being so respectful and a good student this week. But, I shouldn’t have to keep asking you to stop whistling. I would appreciate if you could stop” and again thanked her for the hard work this week. The rest of the day she was great. By not criticizing or punishing her, I had successfully avoided a discipline problem.
Why did it happen?
This happened because the student craves attention. She doesn’t mind being yelled at as long as the eyes come to her. And based off her personality she welcomes challenges and punishments and responds with intimidation. Too often teachers look for the quick punishment of yelling or detention which can affect not only the target student, but can have negative effects on the class as a whole.
What does it mean?
This means that punishment is not always the best option. Praise (if handled correctly) can help modify even bad behaviors (see behavior modification!!). My main focus with her was to be consistent. Chapter 10 mentions what can happen if the rules are only enforced some of the time and with Tia, if you tell her to stop once but ignore the same behavior later, she will continue because she can get away with it. This example also shows the boundary I believe of what should be/ not be ignored. I can deal with small things like her getting up to use the bathroom every ten minutes because it doesn’t affect the other students. But whistling is a major distraction. By showing that it was not okay on each occurrence, I have set the ground rules of my expectations.
What are the implications for future practice?
However, this scenario is just one girl. Like the chapter says it is crucial that we get to know our students because they all respond differently. By knowing that Tia craves attention and punishment, I was able to avoid an issue. However with others, I may need (and have) to take different approaches. So this tells us that not always are the students at fault but it is the teachers who provoke or create problems for themselves.
-Derek Boillat
Summary (Jack)
Wasicko and Ross argue teachers create their own discipline problems by following harsh rules which expect the worst from students. They suggest the latter form of mentality to establish a comfortable and respectful learning atmosphere. The authors claim expecting the best from kids is important as well as effective in building personal relationships with students. If students know the teacher has no predetermined views regarding their past behavior they might try to live up to positive expectations. In addition, Wasicko and Ross state teachers need to make these expectations clear. A teacher that provides guidelines about appropriate and inappropriate behavior will decrease the likelihood of discipline issues.
Furthermore, the authors discuss the critical aspect of rewarding students instead of punishing them. They claim punishments outweigh rewards by at least 10 to 1 in the average classroom. The frequent act of punishing students not only distracts from the learning process, but also gives poor behaving students attention. This action gives other students ideas of how to misbehave and students behaving positively may feel left out or ignored. By rewarding students instead of punishing them, the teacher is highlighting good behaviors and the students can feel optimistic about their decisions.
Wasicko and Ross also suggest that teachers must create punishments that fit the crime; by having students solve or fix the problem, the disciplinary action becomes a beneficial learning experience. In addition, they claim punishments should be in the form of removing privileges; it is better to take away something they enjoy and must earn. It is important to remember the class structure must have privileges in order to be able to withhold them from misbehaving students. They suggest that some effective techniques for diminishing discipline issues is to ignore small misbehaving activities and to be consistent in how one disciplines and treats students.
The authors note teachers need to tailor the punishment for each student. They should take time to get to know the students and discover what things/tasks are considered punishments and rewards for them. Finally, Wasicko and Ross argue teachers should never give students school work as punishment; students will begin hating the very subject one wants them to learn and enjoy. Instead, reward them with school work by surprising them with a fun, meaningful and practical lesson. Teachers should treat students with love and respect to develop and foster positive relationships which will led to few major discipline problems.
--K.McCollum
Doubting Lens (Queen)
This article brings up some good points, but there are a lot of issues with what the authors say. For one, they suggest letting “minor misbehaviors” go so as not to encourage more students to do it or reward problem behavior. They use the example of swearing, but in real-life situation, especially in a high school setting, swearing is usually directed at someone, be it a teacher or another student, usually in the form of name-calling. To the authors, this may be a “minor misbehavior,” but ignoring a student who is spouting obscenities at another student or at the teacher will not change the behavior but allow it to continue.
The authors also suggest knowing the students well in order to punish them appropriately. But is there consistency in this concept? One student’s punishment may be not being able to read in class, but other students who dislike reading may feel that this punishment is unfair. It may be a good punishment for the one student, but others who see it as a reward might revolt against this form of punishment. Having consistency in one’s approach to discipline may reduce the likelihood that students will see a teacher’s punishments as “unfair.”
The authors also use a quote from a student that says, “She is more than just a teacher; she is our friend.” If the authors are advocating having a friendship-like relationship with students, they are treading on dangerous ground. As teachers, we are supposed to have a specific bond with our students, which involves respect and authority. While caring for students and having a trusting sort of relationship is appropriate, teachers are not supposed to be “friends” with their students, nor should they be described by the students as one. While having a bond with one’s students is important, being friends with one’s students is not the point of being their teacher.
The article essentially says that teachers create their own discipline problems, but they forget to take into account the fact that other adults come into contact with their students as well. Parents may have conditioned their children to be discipline problems, or other teachers may have gotten their hands on the students first. If this is the case, how can a teacher be said to be responsible for another teacher or a parent’s discipline case?
- Kristy McPherson
Believing Lens (King)
This article was very easy to read with a believing lens. Teachers can absolutely create their own discipline problems in the classroom by lowering expectations, punishing every bad behavior, using schoolwork as punishment, never giving rewards and much more. Teachers must try their hardest to be clear, explicit and especially consistent when it comes to expectations and classroom policy. When teachers are not consistent students will be confused about what behaviors are acceptable and what behaviors are not. Some students may also try to test the limits if teachers are unclear about their rules.
As pointed out by Wasickso and Ross, it’s important to have children be accountable for their actions. One way to help promote accountability would be to have students help make the classroom rules and expectations. Students will be more likely to follow the rules if they helped establish them. Aside from accountability teachers need to know their students in order to determine what is actually punishment and what is a reward. Wasickso and Ross say, “one person’s pleasure is another’s poison” (65). This is true when teachers are developing positive or negative punishment techniques. For example a teacher may punish a student by giving them a time out in a corner, but in actuality the student may not find this punishment bad because they enjoy the attention or seclusion.
With my brief volunteer experience in Philadelphia Public Schools, it was especially evident that failing to ignore small misbehaviors will create more discipline problems then eliminate them. The teacher I worked with pointed out so many misbehaviors that in a 40-hour week I saw no more than thirty minutes of actual instruction! She could not finish a sentence without reprimanding a student for one thing or another. Unfortunately, this seemed to be the norm in the entire school. Constantly reprimanding students breaks up lesson continuity, which is key for student comprehension.
-Kelsey Curlett
Implications for Practice (Ace)
The Privilege of Peeing
Discipline problems pervade the halls and rooms of most schools. This is a problem for many reasons but most importantly it distracts and detracts from learning. Much time is typically spent by teachers driving students to behave appropriately. If I were a principal I would want staff to hold high expectations for students both academically and behaviorally. Students should be expected to be self-disciplined. They will be able to fulfill this expectation if everything is not regulated, if rules and expectations are consistent and clearly stated, and if a list of “Do’s” to diagram proper conduct is presented. Proper conduct should be modeled to these students. Further, they should be trusted to go to the bathroom, drink water, and have a snack. If educators do not grant students responsibility over their own basic needs how can they believe we expect them to do challenging school work? However, I do believe that if a student is abusing their right to go to the bathroom and goes multiple times in one hour this should be addressed. In addressing this issue I agree with the article that the student should be spoken to after class or school.
In the article it says that students who help make rules are more apt to follow them and it also says that consistency is key. I agree with both assertion but I am torn on how to make rules. I feel that it would be a positive thing to have school policy rules agreed upon and followed by all; although this might be a bit to idyllic. It would also be beneficial to have students help create the rules so that they could be personally invested in following them out, but I do not know if or how this could be done on a school wide basis. Perhaps each grade could create rules.
-ashley gwinn
11. Cates, Dennis L., Marc A Markell, and Sherrie Bettenhausen. "At Risk for Abuse: A Teacher's Guide for Recognizing and Reporting Child Neglect and Abuse."
Summary (Jack)
The authors discuss the responsibilities and procedures for teachers who are reporting child abuse. They state in 1992 an estimated 2.9 million children were reported as suspected victims of abuse (67). The authors continue by mentioning that this large, frightening number only represents the reported cases and that many more abusive relationships still exist unknown. As a teacher, it is our legal obligation to know the signs of the various forms of abuse, (emotional, neglect, physical and sexual,) in order to report cases and ensure the safety and protection of the students.
The authors explain the definitions for the differing forms of abuse as well as lists of physical and behavioral indicators associated with the specific maltreatments. The article asserts teachers that acquaint themselves with students’ home life and make connections with their family increase their ability to detect child abuse. They also inform teachers were to report abuse, to avoid telling the alleged abuser about the suspicion and what information should be reported. It is important to mention that teachers are required by law to report child abuse and not contacting local authorities or a children protection agency will most likely result in legal action.
--K. McCollum
Doubting Lens (Queen)
Because this article is merely a means to convey facts, the only thing for me to criticize is the facts themselves. The idea that teachers can be held liable for not reporting child abuse is a terrible premise. Teachers do spend all day with students, but the majority of teachers have more than one group of students throughout the day. Assuming that the average class size is thirty students and that most teachers have five different classes a day, teacher see 150 different students every day, and many teachers have different students one semester to the next. It is unrealistic to expect that one teacher will be able to identify and report cases of abuse when their job is to teach over a hundred different students every year. Holding a single teacher liable for identifying which of their 150 or more students are being abused is ridiculous.
Even more ridiculous is the idea that a teacher who reports a suspected case of abuse to his/her principal could still be held liable is the principal does nothing. Reporting an occurrence to one’s boss should be a way to put a problem into more capable hands. To have that more turned on you is a huge betrayal.
Also ridiculous is the fact that the article encourages teachers to get to know parents well, yet it also says that parents who abuse their children “typically fail to appear for parent-teacher conferences.” As these are generally the same parents who ignore emails and phone calls from teachers, how exactly is a teacher supposed to get to know these people? And in the event that they cannot get in touch with the parents, will the teacher face harsher punishment if it turns out that the child is being abused? How outrageous.
- Kristy McPherson
Believing Lens (King)
This article was difficult to read with a believing lens because it is astonishing that 2.9 million children were reported as suspected victims of abuse or neglect. However unbelievable it is, just as with bullying and cheating, teachers must be vigilant about what is happening in their student’s lives. If a teacher notices a significant change in a behavior the teacher has a responsibility to report it. If the teacher is unsure that the change in behavior is due to abuse or neglect they should speak with a school counselor or social worker that can better address the student’s change in behavior. Some teacher’s may be nervous to report incidents of neglect or abuse because of the serious consequences making such claims can have.
At the first professional development day of the year for Riverside Middle (GRPS), the first thing on the agenda was the policy in place to report abuse. The principal not only informed the faculty about the importance of reporting abuse or neglect but she stated that she was a resource for the teachers and they shouldn’t be afraid to approach her about such incidents. After the principal spoke, both the school nurse and counselor addressed the teachers as resources for reporting abuse. Although it was wonderful to hear that a system was in place for reporting abuse, some teachers may nonetheless still be apprehensive to report it. While the principal did take the time to talk about reporting abuse, her presentation may have been more effective if she had told the teachers what some common indicators of abuse are. Even though it’s sad and hard to address, educators that work with children everyday have an extreme responsibility to be not only the student’s teacher, but also their protector.
-Kelsey Curlett
Implications for Practice (Ace)
To Recognize and Report
Child abuse and neglect is too prevalent and the statistics are incorrectly low. This is a problem that can begin to be helped. If I were a principal at a school I would follow the article’s instructions and make absolutely sure that specific policies should be put in place for reporting child abuse. This will help to legally protect the teachers and help teachers to feel confident when speaking up because they are familiar with the proper procedure. Next, I would mandate in services where Child Protective Services workers could come in and give staff tips on recognizing abuse and documenting it properly. I would have police officers also come in to speak to staff about the current child abuse laws for our state. Further, I would make sure that students knew the proper channels through which to report abuse of themselves or of a classmate. Children often know the story behind what is going on with their classmate before the teacher does; if a system was well known and in place students would feel more comfortable raising an issue about possible neglect or abuse. Lastly, communication with parents is essential so that a relationship can be built and individual situations better understood. This can be extremely difficult but I would encourage teachers to send notes home, hold conferences, and create webpages to open up the lines of communication.
-ashley gwinn
12. Lipsitz, Joan and Teri West. "What Makes a Good School?"
Summary (Jack)
The authors discuss criteria to evaluate and improve various key aspects of schools in order to have an effective, efficient educational system. First, they address the importance of academic excellence. They argue good schools have high expectations for student achievement and implement a myriad of instructional strategies to create challenging lessons. The criteria are clearly defined and student comprehension is demonstrated not only in their answers, but in their explanations about their thinking processes. In addition, good schools provide opportunities for teachers to conduct further research or plan creative lessons, as well as, encouraging collaboration and reflection with co-workers.
Secondly, the authors explain the significance of having criteria regarding developmental responsiveness. This includes the school establishing family alliances by gaining parental support and offering youth supplementary services which are crucial to emotional, physical and intellectual growth. For example, one school has a program in which students are expected to take care of a newborn baby. They watch, feed, and change computer-programmed dolls to learn the work associated with being a primary caregiver for a young child. Although the program is teaching the fundamentals of responsibility, accountability and compassion; students are also influenced to make wiser decisions about being sexually active.
Lipsitz, Joan and West continue by addressing the third category focused by good schools: social equity. Once a good school has determined their academic excellence criteria, it is crucial the school makes certain expectations apply to all students. These teachers are adapting lesson plans for both students who struggle with material and students who are bored with the material. One would see programs such as tutoring, mentoring or other forms of assisted learning being present in the school environment. Furthermore, good schools design their own plan for punishing students other than the generic “suspension” option. Administration, teachers and others are responsible for knowing the misbehaving student and determining which form of punishment would best fit the student. The authors highlight the ineffectiveness of having poor behaving students miss out on instructional time and thus, becoming farther behind in school work.
Lastly, the authors illustrate good school criteria for creating organization structures and processes. They believe schools should have people designated for carrying specific functions or tasks to make sure daily school-related activities are followed-though. Whether it is a principal or teacher, someone needs to be a leader for the staff by setting an example of someone going the extra mile to help improve the school, curriculum, the cafeteria policies, etc. Good schools always have someone inspiring others to try harder. Additionally, they claim good schools operate successfully by holding teachers accountable for student success. This means teachers are responsible to collect, analyze and interpret data regarding student comprehension and use the information to modify instructional strategies, content, organization, etc. accordingly.
-K.McCollum
Doubting Lens (Queen)
The list of criteria in this article is all well and good, but the writers seem to forget that not all school have the unlimited budgets that it would probably take for these criteria to be fully enacted. Some schools, for one thing, may not be able to have scheduled planning time for their staff because A) they are understaffed and need their teachers to have a class every hour of the school day and B) they may not be able to have a set time after school that all teachers can attend. Other teachers may not want to interact with their colleagues, which is not only selfish but reduces the opportunities for others to learn.
All of the criteria listed here are achievable…for well-funded schools in well-to-do neighborhoods. How can any school with a limited budget be expected to live up to these standards?
- Kristy McPherson
Believing Lens (King)
Lipsitz and West have created a vast overview of what we all wish to see in schools: active parental involvement, teacher collaboration, the involvement of outside agencies, peer mediation, transparency, after school programs, school-wide efforts to reduce suspensions, student accountability and much much more. It is easy to determine what we want in our schools, but it is much more difficult to actually implement the things that we desire. Many schools that are not deemed as a “good school” don’t have many of the redeeming qualities listed by Lipsitz and West but they may struggle to acquire just one or two of the qualities listed.
The most believable quality that marks a school as great is social equity. Social equity creates a safe learning environment for students both inside and outside of the classroom. It is essential for students to feel safe in order to completely lend themselves to the learning process. Social equity in a school also means teacher cooperation, academic support for all types of learners, and teamwork by all faculty, students and parents. If social equity was established in a school, the other qualities that make schools great would be easier to achieve.
In order to succeed, it is also crucial for schools to come up with a system of evaluation that includes teachers, administrators, other school faculty and parents. If a school does not perform well on the evaluation then there needs to be a process of goal setting and program development. Failing schools are often struggling just to make it day by day but it would do them good to look down the road and plan ahead. Evaluations that schools set up should occur not just on a yearly basis but also each quarter or marking period. Mistakes are easily made in schools but mistakes are valuable if they can be transformed into a learning experience.
-Kelsey Curlett
Implications for Practice (Ace)
Get it Right
These schools sound like utopian anomalies, but if I were the principal at one of these schools I would be thrilled. As a principal operating one of these schools, I would have to be very involved and have a clear set achievable plan in place to boost student achievement. In this setting, as principal, I would implement systems thinking into the structure of the school and professional development meetings. Utilizing systems thinking would allow for a common vision to be set by teachers, administrators, parents, and students. Further, it would make for a safe environment where teachers could share their ideas and criticize in a constructive manner like the article was advocating take place. This safe environment would not just manifest itself, but it would need to be constructed; systems thinking would be a way to create such and environment. Systems thinking would also be a great help in engaging in partnerships with business and local organizations allowing the pool of resources and support for the school to grow.
I like the idea of constant planning and professional development, however, as principal; I would want to pare down meetings. Consolidating meetings is important because teachers do not want an unending schedule of meetings, and such a schedule would decrease productive and focused teacher involvement. Integrating new teachers and making provisions for students who transfer in did not seem to be made in the article. As a principal I would provide new teachers with a mentor teacher to help acclimate them to the unique system of the school and I would also make sure that I had extra meetings with them to keep tabs on how they were getting along. Transfer students would have a huge learning curve and would need mentors and extra meetings of their own. I would place them with a teacher contact that would specifically advocate for and work with this student, and I would also place them with a student mentor who might be a student mediator as well.
Regarding suspension issues I would implement an in school suspension system in most situations. Also, in the in school suspension room I would hold students accountable for work being missed in the classroom. Curbing suspension issues would also be aided by as much parent involvement as our school could acquire. To gain parent and guardian involvement parent teacher conferences would offer food (hopefully provided by one of our partnerships gained) and would operate before school and late after school to help accommodate all schedules. Additionally, teachers would have individual websites that have translations into different languages to assist parents in keeping up to date on their student’s work progress.
-ashley gwinn
13. Cuban, Larry. "A Tale of Two Schools"
Summary (Jack)
Cuban raises the question, what defines a good school? He persists that a majority of the nation is under the belief that only one educational style is the correct way for producing young citizens. He gives scenarios of two dissimilar instructional styles; one being traditional, the other progressive in nature. As Cuban is describing School A and School B, he highlights the differences in the school environment and teaching methods. At first it would appear these schools have nothing in common and that, when assessing student knowledge, one educational style would have to be better suited for student learning. However, Cuban claims these schools have a lot of commonalities in their approach to imparting knowledge. Both manage to teach students how to be productive, active members of a democratic society, but they emphasize, organize and prioritize these aspects in a unique way. Therefore, Cuban asserts progressivists and traditionalists need to focus on why good schools are “good” schools instead of assuming there is a “one best system” solution for all educational environments (88).
--K.McCollum
Doubting Lens (Queen)
The author of this article argues that there is actually no set definition for what makes a “good” school. Unfortunately, there is, and it is called standardized testing. While the two schools that the author compared are both highly ranked in terms of standardized testing, had one of his schools been low ranking, the differences between the schools would have been much more pronounced. If School B had had lower test scores than School A or ice versa, there would have been a clear winner. Say, for example, that School B has a large special education system and therefore had lower test scores. While it may not have given an accurate picture of which school was “better,” it would have shown state officials and parents that School A may have been the better investment.
- Kristy McPherson
Believing Lens (King)
This story was easy to read with a believing lens because I see “the tale of two schools” occur everyday. Even though schools are often classified as progressive or traditional there are often teachers within each school that tend to function traditionally or progressively, no matter what their school may be classified as. In my opinion, as long as schools are functioning at a high level then it doesn’t necessarily matter what they do to get there (as long as cheating isn’t involved, by teachers, administrators or students). As the article says, what actually makes a school good doesn’t matter as long as “they are discharging their primary duty to help students think and act democratically” (87).
It is easy to say that it doesn’t matter if a school is progressive or traditional as long as the school is achieving what it set out to accomplish, but yet the debate between progressivism and traditionalism will rage on for a long time to come. The education system in itself will always be a battle between “right and wrong” because nobody can ever reach an agreement. If an agreement is somehow magically reached then its only a matter of time before the decided upon philosophy is obsolete. This is partly why some schools fail and some succeed; it is almost nearly impossible to reach decisions on how to do things right in schools, both in and out of the classroom. While time is spent trying to make the right decisions, crucial instructional time is slipping away. It is my belief that the education system will always be under some sort of reform, whether the reform is good or bad.
-Kelsey Curlett
Implications for Practice (Ace)
Good Gosh
If students are achieving according to set standards, if they are competent problem solvers, and democratic thinkers then I agree with the author that schools containing these students are, by definition, good. As a principal I would not want to get roped into all of the political debates surrounding school policy, but I know I would have to. In practice, I would combine the traditional and progressive perspectives on education. Both of these schooling approaches are on extreme ends of the spectrum and I believe my school would do well do take the best from both to meet in the middle. The aspects chosen from each ideology would be backed up by research and the combination would need to be tested by practice.
-ashley gwinn
After reading all of the chapters:
What Happened (2)
What Happened: First hour in our Language Arts class my CT and I have a continuous problem with attendance. We have two students who have already been suspended in these first three weeks of school. The first one, a girl who is repeating the 6th grade, came back to class after a two day suspension for “bad attitude” on Thursday of last week. She walked in with all of her materials except for her homework. She had missed a spelling worksheet with the week’s spelling words and the reading of a story in the literature textbook. My CT asked her if she had her homework and the student described a colorful tale on how she had the homework done in her locker but her mom had taken it home and lost it when she picked her up for her suspension. Though my CT didn’t believe the student, she told her it would be ok for her to turn her homework in the next day. The student has yet to turn in one piece of homework in our class. That Friday the student participated in the spelling test and failed. She never got to take the pretest because she was suspended.
Why Did It Happen: The student usually is attentive in class even though she doesn’t turn in any assignments. I will be able to test my theory next week, but I believe that if she had been in class while we were discussing the spelling words she would have aced the test. When we go to take attendance we can see which students have been called in sick and suspended for the day. I asked my CT what kind of “bad attitude” could justify out of school suspension and she told me that when it comes to some students, like the girl who missed the spelling discussion, out of school suspension is the only answer. I am merely speculating but I feel like this student has been flagged by the teachers as a “problem child” and should be out of school as much as possible.
What does it Mean: I am a firm believer that out of school suspension is highly ineffective and only disables the student’s learning experience. There are a few cases where it is necessary, one being the other student who is continuously fist-fighting at school, but overall I do not see the benefit. The female student may not be a highly motivated individual but she is smart and after she hears something she usually has it in her memory. The spelling worksheet that she had to do on her own was done mostly in class on the day she missed because of her suspension.
Implications for Practice: Though I will not be able to prevent out of school suspension, I want to have a system placed in my classroom to catch up the students. My CT doesn’t really have that great of a make-up work system in her classroom. She has a folder for the students to get work from but she usually forgets to put the assignments in the folder. I have been keeping up with it but the students have a hard time remembering to look for missed work. My current idea is to spend a few minutes at the end of the day and put the names of the students who missed each class on a sticky note on the class seating chart. That way if the students do not ask the first day they are back I can give them the assignment for a late grade the next day. I’ve already started to do this for my CT. I don’t want my students to fall behind because of a disciplinary action.
-Katie Reilly
What Happened (3)
What happened?
My CT has a very non-authoritarian style of classroom management that in most settings would be highly ineffective at maintaining a stable learning environment, but in his classroom it appears to work. Students respond well to his passive aggressive nature and casual disciplinary style. A majority of students are well behaved throughout his classes and all students show great respect toward him. However, this week his second hour science class just seems to suddenly have grown a boisterous, obnoxious, unforgiving side and it is obvious that he can’t continue his non-authoritative approach much longer or he will surely lose the class for good.
Why did it happen?
Chapter 10 discusses ways to prevent discipline problems before they arise, an article I wish my CT had read weeks ago. He seems to have made the second step of creating classroom problems, never tell students what is expected of them, a cornerstone of his classroom management philosophy. In addition to this, he is not equitable in his application of the law. While some students are allowed to return to their lockers for forgotten books, homework, and pencils, others are denied the privilege and reprimanded for their failure to remember the items before class. This second hour class is merely acting out what the other hours will soon come to realize, there are no rules and therefore the limits must be tested.
What does it mean?
Without established, clearly defined rules it is impossible for students to know what is expected of them within the classroom. The second hour students are simply acting out the most human instinct of trial and error. They are searching for what works and what doesn’t within the classroom. My CT will soon discover that without established rules students will begin to take their frustration with a lack of structure and equity out on him. Had he followed the “Love and Logic” model of establishing rules and adhering to them, he could have gained students respect while maintaining his compassion. For now, he sits silently at the front of the classroom passively waiting for students to give him their attention.
What are the implications for future practice?
It is important for all teachers, myself included, to be comfortable with establishing a system of discipline within the classroom. The authors offer simple, yet pragmatic tips and guidelines for maintaining stability and order in the classroom. I have seen a rather effective style of non-authoritative discipline begin to break down in the classroom, and the results are not pretty. I will be sure take the authors’ advice and overcome the 10 easy steps to creating discipline problems.
-Aaron Noordhoek
What Happened (4)
What happened?
When dealing with 6th graders, each day is completely different from the next. One day a student may be extremely well behaved while the next it’s like the Mr. Hyde version of Jekyll. And the range of personalities you get within a 35 student classroom is vast and random as well. That’s why looking at chapter 10 we get a good glimpse of how to avoid creating discipline problems. So I want to discuss my last week looking at this.
First off, one of the girls, Tia, will do anything for attention: get out of her seat, talk consistently, and her new fad: whistling. I have found myself and my CT following the section “Ignor”ance is Bliss with most of her behavior issues and by not giving her attention, she will stop. But one day, she decided to test me when coming back from Art. She was walking in line down the hall and begins to whistle. I tell her to please stop. Five seconds later she restarts her tune, again I tell her to stop. The third time she looks at me and makes sure she makes eye contact and carries on her tune. We get to class and (following the scenario in the first couple chapters) i pull her outside and instead of yelling at her begin by telling her that “I am very proud of her for being so respectful and a good student this week. But, I shouldn’t have to keep asking you to stop whistling. I would appreciate if you could stop” and again thanked her for the hard work this week. The rest of the day she was great. By not criticizing or punishing her, I had successfully avoided a discipline problem.
Why did it happen?
This happened because the student craves attention. She doesn’t mind being yelled at as long as the eyes come to her. And based off her personality she welcomes challenges and punishments and responds with intimidation. Too often teachers look for the quick punishment of yelling or detention which can affect not only the target student, but can have negative effects on the class as a whole.
What does it mean?
This means that punishment is not always the best option. Praise (if handled correctly) can help modify even bad behaviors (see behavior modification!!). My main focus with her was to be consistent. Chapter 10 mentions what can happen if the rules are only enforced some of the time and with Tia, if you tell her to stop once but ignore the same behavior later, she will continue because she can get away with it. This example also shows the boundary I believe of what should be/ not be ignored. I can deal with small things like her getting up to use the bathroom every ten minutes because it doesn’t affect the other students. But whistling is a major distraction. By showing that it was not okay on each occurrence, I have set the ground rules of my expectations.
What are the implications for future practice?
However, this scenario is just one girl. Like the chapter says it is crucial that we get to know our students because they all respond differently. By knowing that Tia craves attention and punishment, I was able to avoid an issue. However with others, I may need (and have) to take different approaches. So this tells us that not always are the students at fault but it is the teachers who provoke or create problems for themselves.
-Derek Boillat